Module 10.2: The International Style

Purism

an avant-garde artistic movement founded in 1918; advocated for the reduction of forms to simple, precise geometric volumes (such as cylinders, spheres, and cubes)

What was the goal for Purism?

to express universal principles through disciplined composition and directly informed Le Courbisie’s architectural emphasis on pure form and volumetric clarity

Who founded Purism?

Le Corbusier

What is an example of Purism?

Still Life, Le Corbusier, 1920

Piano Nobile

the main floor of an Italian palace, containing the reception rooms; usually higher than the other floors, with a basement or ground floor below

Northlight/sawtooth

architectural roof system consisting of a series of ridges with dual pitches on each side, forming a zig-zag pattern resembling the teeth of a saw

What is an example of a northlight/sawtooth roof?

House and Studio of Diego Rivera, Juan O’Gorman, San Angel, Mexico City, Mexico, 1931

Novembergruppe

a radical German association of artists, architects, and designers founded in Berlin

What were the goals of Novermbergruppe?

they sought to align art and architecture with the ideals of the new Weimar Republic, promoting modernism, functionalism, and socially engaged design as tools for cultural and political renewal

What were the members of Novembergruppe like?

the members were associated with Expressionism, Constructivism, and early modern architecture, and the group advocated for the democratization of art and the integration of artistic practice into public life

International Style

emphasized volume over mass, balance rather than symmetry, and no applied ornament

How did the International Style come to be?

the term coined in 1932 by Philip Johnson in conjunction with an exhibition of modern architecture at the Museum of Modern Art in New York

What is an example of the International Style?

the Bauhaus Building, Walter Gropius, Dessau, Germany, 1925-26

What are the three principles of the International Style?

volume over mass; balance, not symmetry; no applied ornament

What is an example of the International Style principle volume over mass?

The Bauhaus Building, Walter Gropius, Dessau, Germany, 1925-26

What is an example of the International Style principle balance, not symmetry?

The Bauhaus Building, Walter Gropius, Dessau, Germany, 1925-26

What is an example of the International Style principle no applied ornament?

Villa Stein, Le Corbusier, Garches, France, 1928

Vers Une Architecture

Le Corbusier, 1923

“Modern Architecture”

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, 1932

Still Life

1920

Who made the Still Life?

Le Corbusier

Villa Stein

Garches, France, 1927

Who designed the Villa Stein?

Le Corbusier

Villa Savoye

Poissy, France, 1928

Who designed the Villa Savoye?

Le Corbusier

Ministry of Health

Mexico City, Mexico, 1926

Who designed the Ministry of Health?

Obregón Santacilia

Casa de Vecindad

Mexico City, Mexico, 1926

Who designed the Casa de Vecindad

Obregón Santacilia

Calle de las Palmas

Mexico City, Mexico, 1929

House and Studio of Diego Rivera

San Angel, Mexico City, Mexico, 1931

Who designed the House and Studio of Diego Rivera?

Juan O’Gorman

Riehl House

Potsdam, Germany, 1907

Who designed the Reihl House?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Kröller-Müller Villa

1912

Who designed the Kröller-Müller Villa?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Plan for a Brick Country House

1923

Who designed the Plan for a Brick Country House?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Bauhaus Building

Dessau, Germany, 1925–26

Who designed the Bauhaus Building?

Walter Gropius

Tugendhat House

Brno, Czech Republic, 1928-30

Who designed the Tugendhat House?

Tugendhat House

Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona, Spain, 1928-29

Who designed the Barcelona Pavilion?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe